JP Coger's Washington County News & Update

Beth Coger
Jul 6
6 min read

UPCOMING EVENTS & THINGS TO KNOW:

➽ The Washington County Quorum Court Finance & Budget Committee meets Tuesday, July 8, 2025, 6:00 PM, Washington County Courthouse, 280 N. College, Fayetteville, Arkansas. This is an in person meeting only. The meeting will be live streamed here on the county’s YouTube channel.

The agenda for that meeting can be found here.

➽ Item 4.1: Treasurer’s Report
6/1/25 General Fund balance $21,750,194.24. 6/30/25 Balance $20,110,019.56
ARPA Revenue Replacement Fund 6/30/25 balance $9,452,388.27
Jail Maintenance & Operation 6/1/25 balance $8,559,634.40. Expenditures of $2,308,990.83 and income of $1,834,965.94
American Rescue Plan Act 6/1/25 balance $10,179,480.51. Expenditures $1,96,576.32. 6/30/25 balance $8,716,740.51. This account had $33,836.32 income which is likely interest.
The Law Library fund had income of $16,179.59. Expenditures $4,947.04 and 6/30/25 balance $446,494.36
Property Taxes received 6/25 = $647,218.54 with YTD = $9,281,779.72
One Cent Sales Tax received in June $933,760.40 with YTD = $5,621,062.67 (5.82% increase from same time last year)
Quarter Cent Sales Tax JAIL 6/25 = $1,435,442.06 with YTD = $8,612,479.37 (5.66% over same time last year)

AGENDA ITEMS I AM HIGHLIGHTING:

➽ ITEM 12.1: ORDINANCE TO APPROPRIATE $20,232.33 TO HIRE LAW CLERK FOR THE COUNTY ATTORNEY. Note this is just for the remainder of 2025 so expect the budget for this item, if it passes, to be at least double for 2026.

Washington County has two full time county attorneys. Brian Lester is Grade 25 and Deputy Attorney Catherine Baker is Grade 24. The County Attorney’s budget for 2025 is $477,228.00 with $252,241.00 being salaries for these two attorneys. The salary amount does not include FICA, etc.

➽ ITEM 13.1: RESOLUTION FOR FISCAL IMPACT STATEMENT FOR MAINTENANCE & OPERATIONS IN CONNECTION WITH THE WASHINGTON COUNTY DETENTION CENTER’S “COVID MITIGATION PROJECT": I am sponsoring this.

NOTE: Ignore the resolution that is attached to the agenda. It is wrong. Here is a link to the resolution that I will be presenting.

I believe this is appropriate and necessary, especially considering that we are about to enter the 2026 budget process and the decisions we make now should be considered in light of future expected expenses, which for the jail could be substantial. How can we do that if we do not know, or have an estimate as to what those numbers will be? The jail maintenance and operation budget for 2025 is $28.3 Million Dollars. The Enforcement Division is an additional $14.6 Million.

➽ Item 14.1: ORDINANCE AUTHORIZING JUDGE DEAKINS TO APPLY FOR $1.5 MILLION DOLLAR GRANT FROM ARKANSAS ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT for something connected with renovations (complete a commercial/industrial reconstruction of the kitchen and laundry room and connection of a connecting corridor) in the county owned property which until last year housed the Community Correction Center (the former women's prison)

Judge Deakins has already entered into a contract with Multi-Craft Contractors, Inc. in the amount of $131,091.00. for them to inspect the property. https://drive.google.com/file/d/1X3beNslIOsdA39n33MCMNnQwH9_340_j/view?usp=drivesdk

The proposed ordinance says that “...Washington County has presented plans to complete…” those projects. Furthermore, it cites that the county has furnished proof of $300,000 raised through community cash and/or in-kind donations as a local match for the project. Furnished proof to whom?

I have not seen the plans and I have not seen the proof of the donations. If this is an attempt by the county judge to turn what was formerly the women’s prison into an addition for the county jail to lock up more people, that is not good. It is also not sustainable financially or morally.

If that is his plan, it is a tremendous waste of money and resources. We need to follow the blueprint of the Criminal Justice Assessment Study made by the National Center for State Courts and that means addressing the root causes of our over-incarceration. That includes things like pretrial services, hiring more public defenders, paying them on par with the prosecutors, expanding drug court and veterans court, establishing a Criminal Justice Coordinating Committee (CJCC) and more.

This might be a slide down a slippery slope which will lead the county into disastrous financial consequences.

I am fearful that this may be a way for the county to house more federal prisoners, including individuals arrested by ICE. I hope sincerely that I am wrong.

I urge you to contact the county judge and county sheriff. Ask them outright if that is their intention, because if it is, that is very sad news for our county and a direction that I do not want to see us take.

➽ The Washington County Planning Board meets Thursday, July 10, 2025, 5:00 PM, Washington County Courthouse, 280 N. College, Fayetteville, Arkansas. This is an in person meeting only. The meeting will be live streamed here on the county’s YouTube channel.

Here’s the agenda with links to each agenda item. Please study the agenda as there are several land development hearings, two replats, and the Large Scale Development request by Pleasure Heights Church.

Conditional Use Permit Hearings:

Woolsey Wood Cup. Applicant Roy Pilgrim, 15256 Woolsey Road WC 35, West Fork, Arkansas. Proposed use: Commercial - logging and wood company. 4.70 acres
AKH Property LLC Cup. Applicant Dale Hill, 13316 Rheas Mill Rd WC 98, Farmington, Arkansas. 7.02 acres

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⇒ MEETINGS FROM LAST WEEK:

The Washington County Quorum Court County Services Committee met Monday 7/2/25. Please watch the meeting here.

At 1:38:52 in the meeting video, Chair Lisa Ecke informed members of the public who came to speak about industrial wind farms that, “We will also not discuss any moratoriums or legal issues regarding wind farms. I will not have that.” I raised a point of order to object, citing fundamental First Amendment rights, including freedom of speech, the right to petition the government, and the right to peaceful assembly. Chair Ecke ruled that she had the authority to limit public speech. When I asked under what authority she could do so, her response was simply, “Mine.”

Fortunately, the ordinance to abolish the existing Planning Board failed. I stated during the meeting that I felt this was an attempt by Judge Deakins to get a do-over on the Planning Board. See last week’s newsletter for more background on this.

I was not able to determine how each Justice of the Peace voted (I voted against it) as no roll call was taken. This is precisely why I continue to advocate for recorded votes—so constituents know where their elected officials stand. Are some members hesitant to have their votes on the record?

During the public comment period at the end of the meeting, I took the opportunity to inform attendees that, despite the Quorum Court passing an ordinance 47 days ago (now 53 days) appropriating the funds the county legally owes me from my successful FOIA lawsuit, I still have not been paid. JP Ecke attempted to prevent me from speaking on this matter, stating it was not on the agenda. However, transparency and accountability are exactly why we have public comment time.

To be clear, and I have brought this up numerous times, the county code does not require that public comment time at committee meetings be limited to just items on the agenda. Read it here. It says absolutely nothing about limiting the public to only addressing the court about items on the agenda. That would not make sense. It does make sense that the public should be allowed to speak to the court during any public comment time on any subject. Why would any JP want to restrict members of the public who are exercising their rights of free speech and to petition their government?

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DETENTION CENTER REPORT 6/5/25

As of Saturday, July 5, 2025, there were 707 individuals detained at the Washington County Detention Center. The breakdown is as follows:

77 individuals reported their address as either “homeless” or 1832 S. School Street (Seven Hills Homeless Shelter).
41 detainees are classified as 309 Trustees.
120 individuals are ADC Commitments—they have been sentenced to the Arkansas Department of Corrections but remain in our jail due to a lack of available DOC beds.
211 individuals are being held on Failure to Appear charges.
230 individuals are being held for other jurisdictions (Hold for Other Departments).